ENTER--AS AN EPISODE--MRS. COLUMBIANA PORTERFIELD.
There are characters of such marked and peculiar individuality that they
loom upon one’s consciousness like Stonehenge, or any other magnificent
ruin, as Charles Lamb says of Mrs. Conrady’s ugliness; and their discovery
“is an era in one’s existence.” In this way one of my intimate associates,
Mrs. Columbiana Porterfield, stands preeminent in my early and later
recollections; but I was sorry to see into her. Every time we were
together it impressed me more vividly than before, that self was the great
center about which everything revolved for her. All her sympathies were
related to that idol. No small human creature interested her large mind,
except as connected with herself. She was devoted to her church,
especially to its ministers, but it was a sanctuary where she worshiped
self in the guise of godliness, and her own honor and glory was what she
worked for in the name of the Master. At one time the sense of her
colossal selfishness so ate into my spirit of charity that I tried to work
it off by writing out, to one of my intimates, the following letters which
embrace actual incidents and individual experiences through which are
revealed Columbiana’s inordinate ambitions and desires for
distinction--“her mark, her token; that by which she was known.” Perhaps
she may stand like a lighthouse to warn off other women from the same
shoals.
NUMBER 1.
Miss Columbiana Porterfield was fat, fair, and almost forty years old when
she became a winter visitor at Colonel Johnson’s plantation home in the
far South. She was so much respected and admired by the Colonel that when
his wife died he urgently invited her to fill the void in his heart and
home.
The position seemed advantageous, and the lady accepted the situation,
entering confidently upon the duties involved, resolving to adapt herself
to her surroundings when she could not bend circumstances to her own
strong will. She was a sensible woman, and her good husband loved her with
a doting, foolish fondness which he had never exhibited to the departed
wife of his youth.
The family servants did not hesitate in giving her the allegiance due to
power and place, and they were careful to pay all deference to the new
mistress; therefore Mrs. Johnson was surprised to overhear the housewoman
saying to the cook: “I tell yer dat ar white ’oman from de Norf ain’t got
dem keen eyes in dat big head o’ hern for nuthin’; I’m afeered of her, I
is dat.” The lady was wisely deaf to these remarks, but they rankled in
her mind several days.
One of the neighbors thought Mrs. Johnson was not a good housekeeper,
because she had apple fritters for dinner, when there was ample time to
make floating-island and even Charlotte Russe before that meal was served.
Yet with all this talk it was easy to see that the newly-adopted head of
the household had completely identified herself with her family.
There are Americans who go to Europe, and after a short stay no longer
regard the United States as a fit dwelling-place for civilized beings; who
indulge themselves in the abuse of scenery, climate, customs and
government of their own native land as freely as any hostile-minded
foreigner. Therefore it is not strange that Northerners who come to live
in the South should become attached to their surroundings, and even prefer
them to all others which they ever knew.
Mrs. Johnson loved her stepchildren, Harry and Lucy. She taught them to
call her “aunt,” but their own mother could not have been more devoted to
the children of the father who had lain down and died amidst the great
conflict which was a horror to the whole country. Mrs. Johnson was greatly
agitated by the war and its results, and as soon as possible after this
cruel strife was over, she took Lucy with her on a visit to her Northern
home, leaving Harry behind. Among the first letters sent back was the
following, dated October 15th, 1867:
MY DEAREST HARRY,--My sister was rejoiced to see me alive once more; but I
feel like a stranger, for when I look at your sister I cannot realize that
she is here where she does not belong. It is a visible contrast of two
extremes, my family representing one, and Lucy, the other. The North and
South will breakfast together to-morrow morning on buckwheat cakes and
codfish balls. Everybody loves your little rebel sister. Even the girl in
the kitchen dotes on her, and looks lovingly on the dear girl while she is
demolishing the dainty dishes she has compounded for her delectation. I
don’t mean fish-balls, for she hates them.
I know she thinks Lucy is an angel, while I suspect I am thought to be
exactly the reverse, judging by the disagreeable, reluctant way she has of
serving me. A woman who had been teaching the freedmen down in South
Carolina came here last week to collect money for them. Everybody went to
hear her speak, and Lucy just went along with the rest. It was a highly
improper thing for a Southern girl to do. I knew it, but could not put my
veto on it and make myself odious to the family, so I held my peace and
let her go, though I should have been ashamed to be seen in such a place.
She told me all about it, however, and you have a right to be proud of
your noble sister. She conquered her nerves and sat perched on a front
seat and listened with great attention, and almost repeated the whole
thing for me when she came home.
The woman dilated eloquently upon the awful sin of caste prejudice
existing among the abominable South Carolina aristocrats, who, while they
would accost and speak to the colored pupils, were so stuck up that they
regarded the white teachers as no better than the dirt under their feet.
After the speech was over, they took up a collection, and when my sister
told me she saw Lucy put in five dollars, I was just too provoked to say
a word. To do this foolish thing after all our losses was too much--when
she has ordered a new pelisse from New York, too! I could scarcely sleep
for thinking of this folly. The cold weather gives me a despondency
anyhow. It makes me think of my own home in the South, with all its
comforts and the beautiful wood fires, now mine no longer. True, the house
is mine, the dear Colonel gave me that, and the land, and the stock. There
is the old family carriage and the horses; but it is bitter as wormwood
and gall to have no one here to drive me out or do the smallest thing for
me unless I pay out money which I no longer possess. It was a wicked thing
to ruin and break up our homes like this, but, my dear boy, we must try to
be content with what God sends. Our portion is not money, but water; an
overflow of it in the river, and too many caterpillars in the cotton
fields eating up our crops. You must be prepared to suffer poverty and
affliction without slaves to polish your boots and rub down your horses.
You may even be obliged to chop kindling for me to cook with, before you
are done.
The old purposes, habits and customs cannot be carried out any longer. You
must not think of matrimony. You ought now to wait until you are thirty
years old before you attempt to make a shipwreck of your life by marriage.
But I do know a perfect Hebe who would suit you exactly. She comes here
often. Oh! she is a dainty warbler, not quite full-fledged, but superior,
noble, magnificent in design, able to soar higher than any of those
finiky, twittering little canaries you love to play with. A splendid
ancestry, too, as ever lived, solid, wealthy men, though some of them are
deteriorated by having married wives who were nobody. Some women dwarf
men’s souls by their own littleness. I hope you will not fall a victim to
any such.
You must keep up the family prestige; your talents and associations demand
a foremost place, and you must refuse to commonize yourself with that low,
ignorant, profane, dram-drinking set of young men around you. I do
heartily despise them all, and have never received them in my house when I
could help it. They would gladly drag you down to their own level if they
could.
How these good New Englanders rejoice in the emancipation of the slaves!
All my friends and relations chuckle over it, so that it looks to me like
malice triumphant. Lucy came out last Sunday in a beautiful new hat and
pelisse from New York, looking like the daughter of a duchess; and old
cousin Althea said that she did not look that day as much like ruin as she
had expected when she saw me and Lucy getting out of the carriage in our
shabby old war clothes. That old thing is perfectly hateful and always
was.
If our old servants are still with you, say “howdie” to them for me. I
hope Chloe has not run off with her freedom anywhere. She does make such
nice waffles and French rolls. You must contrive some way to keep Chloe if
I am expected to spend much time with you.
Your loving aunt,
COLUMBIANA.
NUMBER 2.
MY DEAR HARRY,--Lucy has a beau. She denies the fact, but there is a
gentleman here from New York who is an intimate friend of my brother, and
he looks at your sister and watches her so eagerly, and does so many
things to please her and to promote my comfort, that I am dead sure it is
an elaborate case of love. I do not think him a suitable match for Lucy in
every respect, but he is very useful to accompany us on excursions and he
manages a pair of horses admirably, and it is convenient to have such a
man around. We went to cousin Sabina Suns’ yesterday, where we were all
invited to dine and to meet the Bishop and Prof. Elliott. I made occasion
to pass through the dining-room. Heaps of red currants in lovely cut-glass
bowls, golden cream in abundance, white mountain cake and luscious peaches
were set out for dessert, instead of the everlasting doughnuts and
perpetual pie which you see everywhere. Not that I care for dessert. I
knew we should have oyster soup and a pair of roasted fowls and all
accompaniments of a regular dinner, for Sabina Suns’ girl is the best cook
I have found anywhere.
We were all sitting in the west drawing-room, and the Bishop had not yet
arrived, when somehow we got upon the subject of the late unpleasantness,
and Sabina Suns blurted out that Jefferson Davis was a traitor, and ought
to be hanged. Tears came to Lucy’s eyes and the blood mounted to her
temples. She suddenly disappeared. I saw the fire in the child’s eyes and
felt the bitterness in her heart, though I said nothing to her, but I
begged Sabina to spare our feelings, for I saw she had gone too far. In a
few moments Lucy appeared with her hat and gloves and bade cousin Sabina
Suns good-by, and went away before our astonishment had subsided.
I wanted Lucy to meet the Bishop and the young college professor of
entomology. I had been telling her what a fine young man he was, of such a
wealthy family, and it now became her to be on the lookout for some better
establishment than any poor Southerner could offer. She is young and pays
little attention to what I say. Sabina was rude and unkind, but the Bishop
and Professor were coming, and then there was the dinner, so I remained
and really had a splendid time, except for this unpleasant episode.
I intended to scold Lucy, but when I reached my sister’s house I found it
was no use. Lucy’s fiery indignation would brook no reproof. She opened
the flood-gates of her wrath upon Sabina without mercy. She said the woman
had elevated one of her enormous feet upon the other as though such cruel
language must inevitably be accompanied by some vulgar action, and her two
feet so elevated seemed high enough for a common gallows post. To be
candid, I was almost scared to death to see your sister so angry and
spiteful. But I like a woman of spirit; it is not best, however, to run
off on a tangent in the face of good company and a first-class dinner. My
dear Harry, I think you are better trained, and would have shown more
common sense under the same circumstances.
The Hightowers, who have so often entertained me in New York, want their
son Howard to come to the mountains or go somewhere to rest after he is
graduated, and I have invited him to come up here as a sort of return
hospitality for a long visit I made with them. The New York _beau_ is soon
to leave. I could not understand that Lucy promoted his departure in any
way, but I thought Howard would be useful. Not that I think he would be a
more desirable _parti_ than the other, but it is handy to have a young
fellow around to wait upon us or take us to different places. He will come
next week, but I shall not apprise my sister, who might object at the last
moment, though I am sure she will treat him well, as she does all my
friends.
Lucy dressed herself with great elegance this evening. I did not think it
was worth while to be wasting her best dry goods and her dear self on the
people she was going to visit; and as I sat in her dressing-room and saw
her laced up in her new lavender silk, which is supremely becoming to her
lovely complexion, and then pin on a rich Brussels lace collar, I could
not help reproving her by reminding her of her long deceased elder sister,
who, I said, doubtless was looking down from heaven in sorrow and
disapprobation of such vanities. “Oh, Aunt Columbia!” said she, “Nanny
Jones was right when she said you had such a terrible way of throwing up a
girl’s dead kinfolks to her; please don’t make me cry; I don’t want to go
to the party with red eyes.” Henry, that Jones girl ought never to have
been invited to your uncle Joseph’s house. She was an incorrigible piece,
and was a great trial to me that month she spent with me.
I do hope you go regularly to church. It looks beautiful to see a
high-bred young gentleman sitting in his father’s pew. The desecration of
the Sabbath in our Southern country is perfectly awful. I never could bear
to see it. You know your uncle Joe, Christian as he proposes to be, will
say to his wife: “Julia, if you must have a cold dinner once a week, get
it in on a week day; on Sunday I must have something better than usual,
and it must be fresh and hot.” I frequently stopped there after church and
dined with him, so I was well aware of this bad example, right in our own
family, as it were.
One would think, after fighting through such a long, bloody war, that our
young men would have done with all private killing and murdering, and
would settle down at home and be industrious and peaceful; so I was all
the more shocked to hear that young Joe McDonald had shot and killed Billy
Whitfield, and all about a trifling little Texas pony. Joe actually had
the impertinence to write to Lucy explaining that he only acted in
self-defense, and begging her not to refuse to speak to him when she
returned. She shall never answer his letter or look at him again with my
consent. I tremble for you, my dear boy, subject as you are to such
dreadful associations, and I pray that you may be kept in safety from
every evil-influence.
Make Chloe look after the poultry. If she sets some hens now, they (the
chickens) will be ready for broiling by Christmas. You know how fond I am
of young chickens for supper. I have eaten enough cold bread up here to
last a lifetime. It may be good for dyspeptics, but I am not one.
Your loving aunt,
COLUMBIANA.
NUMBER 3.
MY DEAR HARRY,--I do miss the New York man. He was a quiet, sensible
gentleman, and if you happened to utter an idea above the average he was
always able to respond and keep the ball of conversation passing agreeably
around the table and fireside. There are so many men who will not take the
trouble to answer a lady’s question with any serious thoughtfulness. This
boy Howard is not a goose by any means, but he is full of animal spirits
and all sorts of pranks. He has kept Lucy racing about over the country so
that she has no time for anything else. Two weeks ago I ripped up my old
black satin dress which did not set right in the back, and there it lies
waiting for Lucy to put it together--for I do hate dressmakers’ bills, and
your sister learned the whole science of remodeling old clothes during the
war, when she could not buy any cloth to save her life.
Lucy can embroider and do all kinds of needlework, but she is letting the
needle lie idle and putting out all her own sewing, which I cannot allow
her to do with a good conscience.
I noticed the other day that Howard had Lucy’s diamond ring on his little
finger, and now she tells me he lost one of the stones out of it when he
went after pond lilies yesterday. The boy was plagued and worried over it
and said he would replace it; but that is nonsense, for the Hightowers
would never have sent Howard here on my invitation if they had money to
buy diamonds. I made Lucy put away the ring in her trunk, and told her
jewels were unbecoming to a Christian girl and her father ought never have
given her any diamonds.
We are going to visit a mountain to-morrow. Lucy is wild after such
things, and no wonder, living so long in a flat country which can boast of
nothing which constitutes scenery, not even a pebble or a brook of clear
water. These hills are perfectly heavenly with their grassy slopes
ornamented by noble trees, and then the meadows so fragrant with new-mown
hay; I am lost in admiration myself, so I cannot blame the raptures of
this unsophisticated child of nature, who sees it all for the first time.
My sister’s horses are high-spirited creatures, and Howard, who has had no
experience in driving, insisted upon taking the reins, when they ran away
and Lucy was thrown out; and the funniest thing happened to her in a
wonderful and providential manner; she was landed upon a bed a farmer’s
wife had put out to sun before her door. She fell right in on the feathers
and not a bone was broken. But my heart failed me when Howard came home at
a late hour, with the side of his face scratched and bruised, and helped
Lucy out of the battered carriage, which had to be repaired before it
could be driven home.
I shall greatly rejoice when that boy takes his leave, for I am in hourly
dread of his impetuosity in getting us into trouble.
Still, he is a bright, noble spirit, and is so penitent when he does
anything wrong that I must needs forgive him. I really fear my sister is
beginning to weary of my young friend. I think the broken phaeton has some
influence on her feelings.
I have no time to write a long letter, so I enclose one which I have just
read from your cousin Maria which contains a great lesson for a young man
setting out in life--one which I hope you will lay to heart.
* * * * *
DEAR AUNTIE,--Tell Lucy to have the lilac silk dress made up, which she is
commissioned to buy for me. We are the same size almost, so it can be
fitted to her shape, and I want it trimmed with real lace. I never saw any
lace while the war went on and I long to feel once more like a lady. I
think a liberal quantity of fine applique or real Brussels lace would help
me to realize the Union is truly restored. So Lucy must reserve one-half
the money I send for the dress to be invested in this trimming.
But I must tell you, Auntie, such a strange thing happened night before
last. It was after midnight and everybody was in bed when a loud knocking
at the hall door waked us all up, and father went down to see who it was.
What was our surprise to see our neighbor’s wife, Mrs. McAlpine, all wet
with rain, without any hat or shawl, her long black hair hanging down her
back, the very picture of a forlorn and despairing creature. She begged my
father to take her in and conceal her, for she said she had run away from
home, for her husband was going to kill her if he could find her. My
mother asked her what she had done to awaken such wrath and vengeance, and
she replied: “Nothing at all; Mr. McAlpine had been drinking and was wild
from the effects of liquor.” Mother gave the poor lady the guest chamber
and sent me to her room with dry clothing, and I assisted her to undress.
Auntie, when I pulled her wet dress down from her white shoulders what was
my horror to see them all bruised and seamed in every direction as by the
marks of whip or cowhide. “Oh, my God,” said I, “what a shame!” She
quickly covered herself with the gown I brought, while tears silently
flowed down her pale cheeks. My own blood boiled with indignation and I
resolved that I never would speak to the handsome, gentlemanly brute who
had committed this outrage upon his patient and gentle wife. I told mother
what I had seen and she turned pale and told me to say nothing to anyone,
but try to contribute in every way to the comfort of the unhappy guest who
had come to us in such a singular way. The next day about ten o’clock Mr.
McAlpine came and asked to see father. When Mrs. McAlpine found her
husband was in the house she seemed crazed with a mortal terror and begged
mother to lock her up in the closet and “save” her. Mother tried to
reassure her, but in vain; nor did she draw an easy breath until she saw
him driving down the avenue after his long interview with father was over.
Late that evening father called mother and me into the library and
informed us that we must not feel so hostile toward the man whose unhappy
wife we were entertaining, for he was entitled to our sympathy and pity,
and he was sorry to tell us that Colonel McAlpine was the wretched victim
of an intemperate wife, whom he had tried in vain to reform and restrain
and in fact he had resorted to everything else before using the lash and
my father was convinced of the truth of his version of the miserable
story.
The Colonel begged us to keep the lady quiet for a day or two and then
bring her home. It seemed to me nothing could excuse such brutality, and
when mother grew somewhat reserved to her unbidden guest, I never varied
in my conduct, and she was quick to appreciate my kindness. When two days
had passed, to my surprise she herself proposed to return and asked me to
drive over with her to her home. I was reluctant to leave her then, but
the Colonel received her with such an apparent kindness and cordiality
that I was entirely reassured and I tried to banish the recollection of
those dreadful marks on his wife’s shoulders. But what could I do under
the circumstances? The woman said she must go home--to her child.
You will think this is enough of tragedy, but wait, dear Auntie, until you
hear the end. Last night Mr. McAlpine shot his wife through the heart,
then blew out his own brains, and the whole country is perfectly
horrified, and the wildest rumors are going around. Father has written to
their friends in New York, and mother has agreed to take care of the baby
until they come for it.
It seems really frivolous for me to go back to the dress question after
these horrors, but tell Lucy to have our dresses made open a little in the
neck, as they are for evening.
Yours devotedly,
MARIA.